On many occasions, soup and wine are a perfect blend. Successful soup and wine pairing becomes a good dining experience with family and friends. The herbs and spices in a soup, which are substantial foods, may make for the best wine pairing. There are a lot of good soup recipes that will perfectly match good wine as well. In some cases, pairing wine and soup is a bit challenging. To avoid overpowering your soup with wine and vice versa, pair them perfectly.
In this article, soup and perfect wine will be featured, especially for those who cannot live without both. Enjoy reading and have a great soup and wine experience.
Consommé and Wine
Consommé is a clear soup that could initially appear simple and uninteresting. But its outward aspect is deceiving. It takes a lot of time and many components to make a nice consommé. Carrots, onions, celery, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, and meat are a few of these items. The two most popular substitutions are beef or chicken.
Consommé typically comes as an introductory dish. It can be served either plain or with a garnish of noodles, veggies, or herbs. In any case, the soup is tasty and thin. Although the meat flavors predominate, you might detect some herbal undertones.
Consommé soup is best paired with fortified wine. The texture of the soup is fascinatingly contrasted by its strong alcohol content and acidity. Consider a Portuguese Madeira wine or a Spanish Sherry. Make sure to choose dry varieties; Consommé does not go well with sweet wines.
Wine with Bouillabaisse
The French dish Bouillabaisse is a well-known fish soup. It is prepared with various fish species, veggies, and herbs. First, salt, pepper, thyme, bay laurel, and parsley are used to season steamed vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, fennel, and carrots. The seafood is added and coated with fish bouillon following the deglazing of the vegetables with white wine or vermouth. Sea robin, red mullet, monkfish, sea bass, and eel are just a few of the varieties of fish that French chefs utilize. They also use shellfish like shrimp, crawfish, and mussels. It deliciously combines fruity tomato aromas with many different herbal notes and lean fish.
Sauvignon Blanc is a fantastic wine to mix with bouillabaisse. It ought to be sufficiently acidic to go well with the fish.
French Onion Soup with Wine
French onion soup is yet another beloved meal from the land of wine and cheese. This straightforward but delectable dish has a long history that dates back to the 15th century when regarded as a meal for the underprivileged.
The primary component of this soup, as implied by its name, is onions. They are cut into slices and cooked in butter until golden. The soup is then seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf before the chef adds beef broth, water, and white wine. The chef prepares the soup, then pours it into cups, tops them with toasted bread pieces, adds cheese, and grates it. The result is a rich, savory soup. It has a subtle meaty taste from the beef broth, a hint of sweetness from the onions, and some crunch and saltiness from the gratinated cheese.
This hearty soup pairs best with a medium- to full-bodied white wine. Consider a dry Viognier. It has the ideal balance of acidity and body. Citrus and tropical fruit scents enhance the sweetness of the onions. As an alternative, pair your French onion soup with an Alsatian off-dry Gewurztraminer. It has aromas that are comparable to Viognier’s, although it is slightly sweeter. Pick one of these bottles to try.
On the red side, you can find another delicious pairing: Sangiovese. Especially Italian Sangiovese wines, including Chianti, are fantastic matches. Their acidity can cut through the chewy cheese, and the tannins are good counterplayers for the meaty soup aromas.
Creamy Vegetable Soups with Wine
Creamy vegetable soups make for a satisfying meal on a chilly winter night. There are countless versions available using various vegetables. Popular components for these creamy soups include potatoes, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms. The majority of versions start as broth and add milk, coconut milk, flour, cream, or cheese to make them creamier.
Creamy vegetable soups typically have a rustic, substantial flavor without being overly greasy. They pair well with rich white wines because of their chewy texture. Many white Burgundy wines, for instance, from the Côte de Beaune appellation, belong to this category. Their zesty acidity works perfectly with the soup’s chewy texture. Another option is white Bordeaux.
Wine with Gazpacho
Gazpacho is the most famous Spanish soup. The essential ingredient for Gazpacho is tomatoes. They are blended with cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, garlic, vinegar, and water and seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin. As the Spanish enjoy this soup cold, it spends some time in the fridge before serving.
Logically, the main flavor in Gazpacho is the fruity aroma of tomatoes. Besides, you can sense the onions’ and peppers’ spiciness and the vinegar’s acidity.
Tempranillo Rosado can be a pair for this soup. These rosé wines are medium-bodied with an outstanding balance of acidity, fruity, and floral flavors that match the soup deliciously.
Vichyssoise and Wine
Vichyssoise is another soup that gourmets frequently eat cold. In contrast to Gazpacho, heat is needed to prepare this French delicacy. Potatoes, leek, and onions are sautéed in garlic oil before simmering in chicken stock. The chef purees the mixture after adding cream and seasoning it with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and other herbs.
A hot summer day is the ideal time to eat vichyssoise. It is not very heavy while being a little thicker and more creamy than gazpacho. It offers a distinctive culinary experience with its delicate floral, salty, and spicy overtones.
Chardonnay is a traditional Vichyssoise partner. Other choices include dry French Rieslings or white Rhones wines. For those who enjoy red wine, Beaujolais is a great substitute. It will not overpower the soup due to its low tannin and alcohol content but it will bring stimulating fruity and floral aromas.
Minestrone with Wine
Consommé can be used to make a variety of soups, including minestrone. It originates from Italy, where it is an appetizer. To make minestrone, chefs utilize a variety of seasonal vegetables, such as beans, onions, carrots, and celery. They may also include rice, noodles, or bacon. Following a 30-minute simmer in the Consommé, all ingredients are seared. Salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs, such as bay leaf, thyme, or fennel, are used to season the soup.
Minestrone is a significantly richer soup than pure Consommé due to the multiple ingredients. Depending on the specific recipe, it may have a fruity, earthy, herbal, spicy, or meaty flavor character.
Italian wine goes best with Italian soup. The ideal companion dish for the minestrone is Chianti Classico. Additionally, its earthy undertones and scents of red and black fruits perfectly accentuate the flavor character of the minestrone.
You might perhaps try a Chianti Superiore or Riserva as an alternative.
Potato Leek Soup with Wine
It is a soup made with potatoes, leeks, heavy cream, and broth that is typically chicken. Salt, pepper, and different spices could be added as additional components. Typically, leeks are chopped and sautéed while potatoes are diced and simmered in broth. This bowl of bliss is silky and smooth. The perfect wine to pair with it is the Migration Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, which adds a refreshing touch to this meaty dish with overtones of apple, stonefruit, and citrus. There is no such thing as too much sweet and savory.
In conclusion, making your experiment in pairing soup with wine is a choice. Nothing beats the idea of choosing the best combo for soup and wine and the experience of a good meal. Explore more, and drink the best wine with the best soup.